


Overdone

by dapper_robot



Category: SteamWorld Quest (Video Game)
Genre: Family time, idk what to tag as
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 09:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20444654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dapper_robot/pseuds/dapper_robot
Summary: Orik over does his arm





	Overdone

**Author's Note:**

> This honestly isn't my best work? But I decided to post anyway. I think this was more of a warm up if anything bc the next fic.... Is gonna be heavy. I'm honestly feeling embarrassed to post this one???? Enjoy if you want I guess

He was upset. No, that'd be an understatement. He was furious, it still felt like an understatement, but it was the best word to describe it. He wasn't furious at a person, but at himself and his situation. 

His arm had been feeling better than usual yesterday, a lot better. He really should learn by now, he really should. And yet, he always fell for it. Because his arm felt better, he did more with it than usual. To be fair, he couldn't do much with it already, but that wasn't the point. The point was he had done more with it than usual, because it had felt better. The others noticed he was feeling better, too. 

And now it was obvious; he had done too much with his arm. He was miserable and it hurt badly. He would have to do nothing with it today, and just wait it out. He did not like waiting pain out, that was usually a thing that happened when you were close to dying. 

When he had woken up that morning he had almost even put his mask on. Almost. That would not be a good habit to fall back into. He was still trying to heal from... _That_ mess. He would've thrown it away but the thing quite literally followed him. He forgot when it started, he had been cursed many times by many different creatures. He wished his arm was one of those curses, at least it wouldn't be as frustrating. 

He also could have stayed in bed, sure, but what was the point of that? He'd be bored all day. 

He had planned going to see Galleo, as they got along pretty well. He hoped maybe they would talk as per usual, and he'd get through the day fine. But to be fair, Orik wasn't sure if he was even in his workshop right now, but it was worth a shot. The others were busy too. Tarah and Thayne had warned they would go on a short adventure that day in the morning, Armilly said she would be training, and Copernica was getting ingredients for her alchemy recipes.

Which is why once he opened the door, he looked in shock as he immediately saw Copernica with a raised fist in the air as if ready to knock, standing in the doorway. 

"I'm sorry! I got worried so I... Came over here," Her tone dropped suddenly mid sentence, then immediately, "Orik are you ok." Her question sounded more like a solid comment. Orik internally questioned for a second why she got worried in the first place. 

"I am... Not feeling myself today. I should be fine, though." He stated both in a blunt yet cryptic manner. That was the best way to state it anyways. He really didn't want anyone else to worry about him, the others never saw when his arm hurt this bad, and he didn't think it was that obvious. In fact, he tended to get embarrassed about it, for some reason he couldn't place. 

"You look ready to fall flat on your face at any moment." Copernica sounded even more worried. So it was that obvious, apparently. Or maybe it was something else. Thinking was hard, as well as everything. He was tired, too. 

"I should be fine." He didn't like worrying other people. At all. He was better at brushing off these kinds of things. He suddenly remembered, "Weren't you going to get ingredients today?" 

"I already did." She smiled, though nervously. Copernica gripped her hat slightly.

"I didn't know you did work that early." Orik's statement made Copernica gain a confused expression on her face. She seemed to quickly shake it off. 

"Anyway, come on. I need to prepare the ingredients I found and..." She sighed in concern, "... I don't think you should be alone right now. You don't look too good." 

And now here he was, with Copernica telling him to sit down, though it was more like commanding. He hadn't even had the chance to argue against it at all. She had grabbed his good hand and started making way. She was weirdly persistent when she wanted to be. It probably helped that he also felt exhausted despite not really doing anything much at all. Then again, pain in itself was tiring. 

"I'm fine, you really didn't need to drag me here." He was feeling more anxiety shoot up. It did not help that the twins were here, he didn't want them to see him like this. Even then, weren't they supposed to be somewhere, too? 

"Like I said, you looked ready to fall on your face", Copernica paused as she placed her grimoire on a table where Tarah and Thayne were, "_Still do, actually._" She grimaced slightly, Tarah half-laughed at the statement while Orik looked away from Copernica. Though they understood his condition, him messing up like this hadn't been seen by any of them before, so he felt anxious. Orik sighed. 

"I don't wish to worry any of you, but I fear I've already failed that." That was more of a constant emotion that almost never went away, now that he thought about it. One he should probably look more into sometime, "This is a different situation than usual, to say the least."

"Different?" Copernica slightly tilted her head to the right. 

"Yes." He answered bluntly, then looked at Tarah and Thayne, "Also, weren't you two supposed to adventure today? Did something happen?" He very quickly changed the conversation. To be fair, he was genuinely confused. First Copernica and now the twins. Thayne immediately seemed to catch on. 

"It's late afternoon." Thayne told in a gentle tone, as usual. 

"What." 

"Yeah." Tarah concluded, also realizing what was happening. 

"Oh by _Algryron_..." Orik grabbed his own face while looking very embarrassed. He never slept in willingly ever, apparently his body that day had severely decided otherwise. 

"You were doing great yesterday, did something happen?" Copernica asked, and sounded way more worried than she probably should be. Sure, it hurt a lot, but he wasn't in danger or anything. It just hurt and it was upsetting. And also, he couldn't really use it for gestures or anything right now, "Or is what happened the situation you mentioned before?"

"I admit I may have overdone myself with my arm." Orik almost let out a sigh. Copernica pulled her hat downwards as if that would fix anything, re-adjusted her glasses, then crossed her arms. 

"Then I don't think you should be doing anything right now..."

"It's an arm issue, not legs." She was right, though. He just hated feeling like he couldn't do anything, it felt horrible. He knew he was in no condition to help or do anything if the need arose. Saying this of course got him an unamused look from Copernica. 

"I thought you were the wise one here." Tarah commented. That got a moment of a shocked expression from Orik, a small laugh out of Thayne, and Copernica looked like she was suppressing laughter, her more concerned attitude from earlier fading slightly. None of them had really expected that, especially not Orik. 

"I am not myself today." He commented after getting over his shock. 

"That seems pretty obvious." Tarah rubbed her fingers on her scars unconsciously. The three of them weren't used to seeing Orik like this either, and despite his want to not worry them, there was a feeling of worry that could be felt by everyone right now. Especially Tarah. Which personally, she didn't like that she was feeling so much worry towards anyone that wasn't Thayne. Considering her entire life, even when she knew it was safe to now, worrying about others besides Thayne always caused problems, so she had a layer of frustration over that worry. 

She knew she was safe now. They both were. But that underlying trauma was still a problem that they both needed to sort out. It was getting better with time, but it was there. 

"I'm gonna go get Armilly. She's been out for a long time now without coming back, and if she overdid herself... Well, she'd be really sad, to put it shortly." Copernica seemed to relive a memory where such a thing happened for a short moment. She then started out the door, before turning around again, "And actually take care of yourself Orik." Then, she was gone. 

"I see why she has the ability to be a professer at a college." Orik looked somewhat thoughtful. 

Meanwhile, Thayne looked like he wanted to ask something. Tarah could feel it, too. There was some moments of silence before he finally walked to Orik, and gently pulled on the sleeve of his good arm. 

"Hm?" Orik asked in reaction. There was some more quiet. 

"How did your arm happen?" Thayne immediately looked nervous afterwards. He had been wondering for awhile, but never asked until now. Orik's expression darkened, and he winced slightly. Tarah went to Thayne and looked curious, too.

"Fighting the Behemoth left its mark in an... _Unfriendly_ form. I ended up with having permanent damage in my arm. We tried to fix it but nothing seemed to work, and the other ways were too risky. So now here we are." His tone sounded as sad as it had been moments before he had taken his mask off the first time, when they all had sat around the fire. It made sense why Thayne was asking now, from what he could tell, Thayne wanted to help somehow. 

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's not your fault. This is just how it is." He sighed and grabbed at his own clothing gently, "You don't usually see me like this... I apologize for how different it is." 

"Well you're hurting, so you don't have anything to apologize for either," Tarah started while crossing her arms, "I know the feeling myself, if I'm gonna be honest." She looked off to the side slightly. Orik nodded his head gently in understanding. 

"If I'm to be honest, I'm genuinely shocked none of you received heavy permanent damage from fighting the Behemoth... Including myself. And incredibly glad. Gilgamech wasn't even safe from such a thing." Orik's gained the expression of remembrance, before a loud noise was heard. Or, well, a loud voice if anything. 

"_YOU WHAT?!_" That was definitely Copernica's voice, and it was loud. And also full of worry and concern. The next few seconds involved Armilly being dragged by Copernica, and the two of them stopping at the door before Armilly could say anything. 

To be fair, Copernica's very loud concerned yell made sense once you actually saw Armilly. She looked like she had gotten beaten up, but was still able to stand and move well. 

"What did she-" Orik started but was interrupted by Copernica. 

"She tried to fight a bigger ogre than usual by herself!" Copernica seemed half panicked, as she had most likely ended up dragging Armilly from the fight. 

"Hi! I almost won!" Armilly sounded somewhat tired but only barely, and also very proud of herself. 

"Are you all just overdoing yourselves today?" Copernica mumbled under her breath as she grabbed for her book, "Here, this should help." There was a slight flash of blue on Armilly for a second, then it disappeared. 

"Thanks!" Armilly did a small thumbs up while smiling still in response as Copernica's expression calmed down. The moment Armilly saw Orik her expression changed, "Are you ok?" 

"I'm getting that a lot today." 

"It only makes sense you do." Tarah commented with a slight laugh, as Thayne nodded in agreement. 

"He overdid his arm" Copernica answered the question Armilly had been thinking, but didn't say. 

"Oh." 

"Copernica, _ow_, dragged me here the moment she saw me." He had tried to point on instinct with his hand that was, of course, connected to his hurt arm. Tarah waved her hand forward to Orik as if to say "see?". 

"Oh..." This time Armilly's voice sounded more blunt. 

"I'll be fine, I just need to wait it out. But at least I'm not alone during it." Orik smiled. 


End file.
